The present invention is concerned with testing devices for smoke detectors and more particularly with a portable testing device.
In many homes, offices and other buildings throughout the United States there are in use smoke detectors for the purposes of sounding an alarm should a fire begin within the building. Generally, these smoke detectors have an electrical sensing circuit which is mounted within a ventilated housing to allow smoke to enter the housing and be sensed by the detector. When a sufficient amount of smoke is detected by the sensor, an alarm, such as a buzzer, is given so that people within the building are notified of the presence of a fire.
As a safety precaution, it is advisable to check these detectors to see that they are functioning properly. If they do not function properly, the smoke detector will not signal an alarm to give notice of a fire.
A common way of testing such smoke detectors is to light a match and place it near the detector so that smoke from the match will cause the alarm to sound. However, the lighting of the match creates a flame which is dangerous and can create a fire on the premises.
Furthermore, smoke detectors are frequently mounted on ceilings or other places in buildings so that they are not accessible for testing by a match or the like when the person is standing on a floor. As a result one has to stand on a stool, chair or table or other elevating means or the like to test the detector. Such a procedure creates a hazard of falling and personal injury.
The present invention improves over the prior art. The invention basically comprises a housing containing an electrical supply, such as batteries. Upon the upper end of the housing are mounted three telescopic tubes, the lower tube being firmly secured to the top of the housing, while the intermediate tube slides within the lower tube, and the upper tube slides within the intermediate tube. The upper tube has at its upper end a ceramic cylinder within which is mounted a combustible pellet. The lower end of the pellet is in contact with a heating element which is in electrical ciruit with the batteries. A switch on the housing operates to connect and disconnect the heating element from the batteries. The testing device can be placed in a storage position, in which the telescopic tubes are moved toward the housing to shorten the length of the device.
To use the device for testing smoke detectors, a pellet is placed within the ceramic cylinder, the second and third telescopic tubes are extended, and the housing is gripped by the operator's hand to hold the pellet well above the head of the operator so that the pellet is placed only a few inches from the smoke detector to be tested. When the pellet is in position, the housing switch is moved to complete the circuit through the heating element so that the pellet smolders to emit smoke. If the detector is operating properly, it will sound an alarm when the smoke enters the detector ventilation holes and is sensed by the detector sensing means.
After testing, the telescopic tubes are slid toward the housing to reduce the length of the testing device, and any charred remains of the pellet are removed by scraping or brushing of the ceramic cylinder. The testing device can then be placed in storage, and when further use is desired, another pellet can be inserted within the ceramic cylinder so that use can be repeated.
The use of the smoldering pellet avoids the use of a flaming tester, such as a flaming match. The pellet comprises a mixture of substances that smolder when heated by the heating element, rather than flaming or exploding as a result of the heat. The pellet can be comprised of any smoldering substance, but a mixture of fine sawdust mixed with vegetable oil, potassium chlorate, soap detergent, and a binder can be used as the smoldering substance. Mineral oil can be substituted for vegetable oil, or used in conjunction with vegetable oil if desired. These ingredients are compressed together and coated with a gelatin surface to form the pellet.
The extendable telescopic tubes allow the operator to place the smoldering pellet well above his or her head so that the need for standing upon a stool, chair or table or the like is avoided and testing may be done safely. The tester can also be used to reach smoke detectors which are mounted in positions where the operator must reach to one side or the other or downward to place the pellet next to the detector.
If desired the section upon which the pellet is mounted can be one singular tubular unit, rather than a sliding telescopic unit.
In a modification of the invention, a ceramic cup is used in place of the ceramic cylinder to hold the pellet.
It is an object of the invention to provide a means for testing smoke detectors of the type commonly used in homes and other buildings by providing a device that is easily collapsed and placed in a compact position for storage and yet is easily extended for ease of positioning a smoldering substance in proximity with a smoke detector so that smoke can be emitted to test the detector's alarm.
It is further an object of the invention to provide a safe means of testing smoke detector alarms without use of flames.
It is another object of the invention to provide a testing device for smoke detectors that reduces dependency of the operator upon using chairs, stools, ladders, and other means to position himself or herself near enough to a smoke detector to test the detector.
It is further an object to provide a compact portable testing device that can be handled easily and conveniently, and can be placed in permanent storage while consuming only a small amount of space.